Home › Michigan › Public land › Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
2026-27 · WPA
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: where, what and how to hunt
A hunter's summary of Kinney Waterfowl Production Area in Van Buren County: units and limits, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: H. Michael Miley (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
- Cedar Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp ยท 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Huzzy Lake Public Boat LaunchBoat ramp ยท 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Bankson Lake Public Boat LaunchBoat ramp ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Gravel Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp ยท 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: the record card
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area counts as a federal waterfowl production area, and it lies in Van Buren County. Its home region at the DNR is the Southwest Lower Peninsula Region. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets the rules on site. By acreage (78) it ranks 5th in a group of 5 waterfowl production areas. DNR page figure: 77 acres. It is one of the 180 rows on the DNR state game and wildlife areas list. Roughly 6 miles north of Marcellus. Michigan Wetland Management District holds it.
From the source page (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS Acres field); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Who can hunt Kinney Waterfowl Production Area, and on what terms
Entry terms, Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Waterfowl production areas like Kinney Waterfowl Production Area are hunted under Michigan seasons for deer, ducks and geese, upland birds and upland game, with non-toxic shot (50 CFR 32.41(d)).
- Code reference: 50 CFR 32.41(d).
Michigan rules that follow you to Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
- The DNR stand rule for public land: portable, ID affixed, Sept. 1 to March 1, no nails, screws or bolts.
- From Sept. 1 to the end of deer season blinds are allowed; constructed blinds need ID and are prohibited on game areas, parks and recreation areas in Zone 3.
- From mid-August to the end of April, a hunter orange outer layer is the law in daylight; camouflage counts if half of it is orange. Turkey and waterfowl hunters are exempt.
- Harvest reporting is required for deer and turkey inside 72 hours; failing to report is a civil infraction.
- Firearm hunters keep 150 yards from occupied dwellings, cabins and farm buildings.
- Planting a food plot on public land is not legal.
- This is Lower Peninsula ground, where deer baiting and feeding are banned.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: licenses to carry
Buy in the Hunt Fish app, at an agent or on eLicense. Every hunter needs the base license; antlerless licenses (up to 10) obey the county or DMU use limit.
Access from the source page; public-land stand, blind, safety-zone and food-plot rules from the DNR deer regulations summary; hunter orange from MCL 324.40116; prices from the 2026 license fee tables. Checked October 22, 2026.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area and nearby public ground
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Between them the nearby tracts list 10,832 acres.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornish | State game area | 391 | 0.5 mi | southeast |
| Gourdneck | State game area | 2,295 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Crane Pond | State game area | 4,214 | 13 mi | south |
| Paw Paw River | State game area | 360 | 13 mi | northwest |
| Fuller Woods | State game area | 85 | 16 mi | northwest |
| Fabius Township | State game area | 175 | 17 mi | southeast |
| Three Rivers | State game area | 2,126 | 17 mi | south |
| Keeler | State game area | 397 | 20 mi | west |
| Leidy Lake | State game area | 109 | 24 mi | east |
| Fulton | State game area | 680 | 26 mi | east |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area deer units, bear units and zones
It is Zone 3 ground in the Southern Lower Peninsula. An older layer marks it inside the Limited Firearm Deer Zone; for 2026 the DNR dropped that zone, so all legal deer firearms work here. Van Buren County allows 5 universal antlerless licenses per hunter. Van Buren County is an early and late antlerless county. For turkeys it is unit ZZ (spring) and I (fall); the 2027 spring calendar has not been printed. Waterfowl: South Zone, regular duck season Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27.
The deer units around Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
| DMU | Unit name | Antlerless status | Antlerless use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | County rule | No APR |
| DMU 311 | Keeler Unit | Open | County rule | No APR |
| DMU 080 | Van Buren county | Open | 5 | No APR |
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area bear units
| Bear unit | Hunts | Quota | Points (res.) | 2025 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | No season | – | – | – |
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area turkey units
| Unit | Reported harvest | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | All of unit, 2026 |
| Fall I | 822 | Unit-wide, fall to date |
Zones from the DNR 2026 zone layers as recorded in lands.json; DMU status and APR from the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits from the 2026 deer summary; BMU hunts and quotas from the 2026 bear summary and bear registration data; turkey from the DNR turkey harvest report; CWD lists from the DNR CWD rules. Checked October 22, 2026.
Game you can hunt at Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
The agency's game list for Kinney Waterfowl Production Area reads ducks and geese, white-tailed deer, upland birds and squirrels and rabbits.
Ducks and geese
White-tailed deer
Upland birds
Small game
Any other game open in Van Buren County is legal here within the rules.
Species from the source (FWS Michigan WMD hunting page and 50 CFR 32.41(d).); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area and the land it belongs with
Parent: Michigan Wetland Management District, which has 5 listed parts.
Units that share Michigan Wetland Management District with Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
| Page | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schlee | WPA | Jackson | 159 |
| Edgar | WPA | Barry | 158 |
| Malan | WPA | Jackson | 141 |
| Schoonover | WPA | Lenawee | 95 |
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area openers and closers in one table
Private ground and public ground share these dates in Kinney Waterfowl Production Area; a state park, refuge or national lakeshore can set its own limits.
| Animal | Segment | Area | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, early | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, late | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | December firearm | Lower Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit I | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall second part | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans days | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth weekend | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Management season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Management season | Statewide | Mar 2, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Regular hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Woodchuck | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 hunting regulation summaries (deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearer editions), checked October 22, 2026.
Lodging, fuel and a processor near Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Pick a town for the night, then a processor for the deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcellus | Cass | 5.7 mi | 1,048 | 4,557 |
| Paw Paw | Van Buren | 8.1 mi | 3,408 | 533 |
| Schoolcraft | Kalamazoo | 10 mi | 1,448 | 2,636 |
| Vandalia | Cass | 13 mi | 323 | 6,045 |
Each county here has its own page: Van Buren County.
Who handles a deer from Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Office phone numbers that handle Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
Managing office: Crane Pond DNR Wildlife Office.
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 22, 2026. Call ahead.
What hunters reported from the county around Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
2025 in Van Buren County: 1,906 antlered, 1,742 antlerless, 3,648 in all. The reporting era peaked at 4,521 in 2022 and bottomed at 3,648 in 2025. Season to date (Oct. 22, 2026): 621 deer. The DNR sampled 188 deer from Van Buren County in 2022, with 0 CWD positives. With mandatory reporting new in 2026, Van Buren County logged 349 spring turkeys. These are county or unit totals, not Kinney Waterfowl Production Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Van Buren County harvest table
| Season | Antlered | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 244 | 377 | 621 |
| 2025 | 1,906 | 1,742 | 3,648 |
| 2024 | 1,905 | 1,838 | 3,743 |
| 2023 | 2,459 | 2,004 | 4,463 |
| 2022 | 2,543 | 1,978 | 4,521 |
Reported by DMU, Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | 2025 total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 311 | 4,008 | 3,899 | 7,907 |
Van Buren County CWD lab results
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 188 | 0 |
Turkeys reported in Van Buren County
| Figure | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 reported | 349 |
| Fall 2026 | 9 |
| Fall 2025 survey | 38 |
| Fall 2025 hunters | 225 |
Deer from the DNR Harvest Report Summary (mandatory reporting; 2026 season to date); CWD from the DNR CWD testing data; turkeys from the turkey harvest report and the 2025 fall survey. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearest ranges to Kinney Waterfowl Production Area
From Kinney Waterfowl Production Area, Echo Point Shooting Range is the closest range on DNR land (31 miles). Clubs inside 30 miles are included.
Offers trap, archery, muzzleloader, sporting clays, 3D archery
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area hunting-hour table for key season dates
Use the column for the hunting-time zone that covers Kinney Waterfowl Production Area on the DNR map. Zone D is the far western Upper Peninsula.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 7:15 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 7:11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 7:16 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 7:31 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
Zone A times from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer hunting hours table, zone offsets from the DNR hunting hours map legend, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours for every zone.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: quick answers
Do I register a bear from Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
Bears go to a DNR registration station within 72 hours for sealing.
When can stands go up at Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
No: nothing may penetrate the bark on public land.
What does a license for Kinney Waterfowl Production Area cost?
Base license, then deer ($20 single, $40 combo) or other species licenses.
Where do I go when Kinney Waterfowl Production Area has too many trucks?
Cornish State Game Area (1 mile), Gourdneck State Game Area (11 miles) and Crane Pond State Game Area (13 miles) all have pages on this site.
Which larger record contains Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
The bigger unit is Michigan Wetland Management District.
Is Kinney Waterfowl Production Area state or federal ground?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service treats it as a federal waterfowl production area.
How much ground does Kinney Waterfowl Production Area hold?
The figure used here is 78 acres.
Which town makes a good base for a Kinney Waterfowl Production Area hunt?
Van Buren County; Marcellus, the nearest town we cover, is 6 miles away.
What do hunters come to Kinney Waterfowl Production Area for?
Ducks and geese, white-tailed deer, upland birds and squirrels and rabbits, plus any other season open in the county.
What deer rules apply on Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
It lies in DMU 486, 311 and 080. In Van Buren County a hunter may use up to 5 universal antlerless licenses.
How do I get a bear license for Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
Bear unit: Dansville. The Dansville unit is closed to bear hunting.
Which unit do I pick for turkeys at Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
The fall license ($15) is for unit I; spring hunts follow unit ZZ.
What are the waterfowl rules at Kinney Waterfowl Production Area?
It is South Zone ground. Waterfowl hunters need the state waterfowl license, HIP and a federal stamp.
Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: what to confirm
Gates, refuges and open zones at Kinney Waterfowl Production Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: Michigan DNR: state wildlife game areas list · DNR GIS · USFWS: hunting; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).